Notice

This blog is no longer active. My life has taken turns that have left me with no extra time or energy to devote to this blog's maintenance and the uploading of additional content. I do continue to receive and respond to comments on posts on the blog, through email, and on Facebook. I still love to listen to old Christian hardcore albums, as well as reminisce about and discuss these bands. I hope this blog continues to serve as a valuable resource on the subject, which keeps me bound to continuously replying to incoming emails with requests for downloads whose links on the blog are no longer functioning. This is no problem and I am happy to continue offering such a favor. If a link doesn't work then contact me.

All the music posted on this blog belongs to the artists. It's all on this blog for the solely to spark memories, discover Christian hardcore bands you never knew existed, and to be a reminder to go and search for and purchase these records! Please, if you enjoy any of the records featured here then try to get your hands on a physical copy. If you are associated with any band on this blog and would like me to either remove the links to downloads of your music or not be featured on this blog at all then please just email me.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Focused's "The Wheels of Progress"

I don't know a lot about this release, mainly because I never could find it until a rip of it was recently sent my way online for the blog. Please comment with information on the record and I'll update the post. Stuff like: the year it was released, dates of the material compiled on the record, etc. Thanks!

18 comments:

From what I know, the cd was issued in 1999 by Facedown Records. It's a collection of demo tracks and live tracks from their last show ever. It was around the time that they wanted to reform and do a new record, with new material and their old line up.

hey...my name is jason and i play guitar for focused...this cd is a collection of demo songs, 2 versions of the song thought and the live show which at that time was the last show ever. it was put out in 1996 on Gunshow Recordings. we also did a 3 song demo in 2000 and recently played a reunion show in august 2009 with demon hunter and living sacrifice. thanks for the continued support of the spirit filled hardcore scene. God bless.

Thanks for all the input on information about this CD. I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say it is much appreciated. By the way, Jason confirmed the release date being 1999, he mistakenly put 1996 in his comment.

i just read this really good article on In the Midst of Lions in HM today. it was cool to see one of the members wearing a Venia shirt. i like it when Christian hxc bands wear other bands of brothers in the Christian hxc scene. really neat. so i am going to check out their new album "The Heart of Man". it is a concept album. i do love my concept albums :)

and i found out that Comeback Kid has a new CD coming out, like today :) they have an article on them too. it is amazing how the singer looks so different with long hair now. but i went to their site and they are still putting out great jams :D i always liked these guys, even when some of them was in Figure Four.

I got "Bow" for my birthday in July of 1994. This was the first totally hardcore record I got made by Christians and was before I heard of the first Helpless comp. I still love "Bow" and after my birthday party at my mom's I had to go to my front desk job. I bought the CD and my little Bible into work with me. I liked knowing I had both of them near me.

Followers

Why Christian hardcore?

Hardcore is a method of speaking your mind. A Christian hardcore band is no different than the band preaching animal rights, preaching civil rights of any sort, hating the current President of the time, preaching other religious beliefs, proclaiming loyalty to the straightedge lifestyle, or expressing the love or deterioration of self in result of a member of the opposite gender. It neither was started to shove the "word of God" down the throat of others nor was it created to build up a sense of self-pride.

Just as gospel and praise music are forms of worship for Christians, straightedge-influenced hardcore praises the integrity of the straightedge movement, or love songs speak of unconditional love and admiration for another human being, Christian hardcore music does the same. Major Christian hardcore bands, such as Zao, Focused, Unashamed, Focal Point, Six Feet Deep, Strongarm, Overcome, No Innocent Victim, xDisciplex, and many more, have done the same exact thing for their faith as a band such as Earth Crisis has done for animal rights and the vegan lifestyle.

These bands discovered the ultimate way to spread the "word of God." Through connections with fellow man and having the love for a counterculture like the hardcore scene, Christian hardcore bands can display their faith in an admirable and respectable manner. In a scene where atheism, agnosticism, and being "God Free" are often an underlying ethic to fitting the standard, Christian hardcore bands became a breed of truly spirit-filled, and in some cases even more enjoyable, musicians and live shows that have created a respect for their music amongst all walks of life in the hardcore scene.

Christian hardcore music led me into the greater hardcore community that has continued to exist internationally and--hopefully--eternally. Some bands featured on this blog, especially Strongarm, Focal Point, Zao, Focused, and Stretch Arm Strong, were the first Christian hardcore bands I had the opportunity to hear and enjoy, and I'll continue to for the rest of my life. I cannot forget Earth Crisis and Sick of it All, for they got me into hardcore in the first place when I was just 12 year old. All of these bands changed my life.